Friday, November 25, 2016

Celebrating the five full decades of Star Trek should be a
yearlong event, so I thought I would spread the love of all things Trek.
Previously in this series I touched on why I loved the Original Series, the
Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise. I then looked at the
Kelvin timeline movies, and most recently looked at the animated series. Now,
it’s time to look at why I love the ten motion pictures from what is now being
referred to as the Prime Timeline. Yes, we are looking at everything from Star
Trek: The Motion Picture to Star Trek: Nemesis. I wanted to look at this list
of movies separately from the more recent J.J. Abrams movies because the two
groups are very different. Many fans enjoy both, but a significant number see
the recent trio of films as not true Trek. The two sets of films are different entities, and they are treated as such here.

December 1979, after more than a decade since the live action
original series first appeared on television, the crew of the USS Enterprise
returned for their next adventure. Many have rightfully given credit to Star
Wars, being released a couple years before, as the catalyst that allowed Kirk,
Spock, McCoy, and the rest another shot at telling us important stories. There
was a desire to see more space movies on a big scale, and Paramount had just
the franchise to mine. From 1979 to 2002, it was not uncommon news to have new
Star Trek movies to look forward to. Some, such as Star Trek V, were duds, but
we had some great gems of movies (Wrath of Khan, Voyage Home, and First Contact
usually topping your typical fan’s favourite list). While it may not have
made as much money as other franchises, it was generally successful and quite
often well received. It allowed a new generation of fans to discover the show,
and the critical success of movies 2-4 allowed interest in a new live-action
series to grow. This resulted in the Next Generation, who would carry on the
movie tradition with four films of their own. Despite the flaws and misses of
some of the movies, there is so much to love about them that it has been hard
for me to come up with my Top 5 reasons for loving them, but here we go!

1. Even when bad, there is something to love – Many will argue
that the odd numbered films were inferior to the even numbered (except for
Nemesis, which many found to be sub-par). While some will speak of “The
Motionless Picture” and “Shatner’s Folly” (The Final Frontier), we still have
something to love about each of the movies. The Motion Picture was heavily
criticized for its slow pace, it is hard to argue that the special effects were
brilliant. The Search for Spock is often overlooked because it was not at the
same level as the two films that book-end that trilogy, but it struck some
fairly emotional cords with its story. Yes, the Final Frontier was loopy, but I
have yet to find a film that was able to capture the friendship of Kirk, Spock,
and McCoy better than what we saw on their camping trip. Many thought
Insurrection was nothing more than a glorified two-part episode on the big
screen, but we did get to see some great moments when our beloved characters
were able to be in different roles (plus, Geordi finally gets to spend some
quality time with his full and proper vision). As for Nemesis, well, we get to
see some great cameos of old favourites (Wes Crusher, Guinan, and Admiral
Janeway). There is always something good in each of the movies.

2. Big name stars – In Hollywood there are movie stars and
television stars. It is difficult to find one who is huge in both. This means
that some of our favourite movie stars were only likely to show up in Star Trek
in a movie role. We were able to have legends like Malcolm McDowell,
Christopher Lloyd, Tom Hardy, and Christopher Plummer take to the stars in memorable
roles. The movies were even able to help launch the careers of some great
future stars (Kirstie Alley being the most notable).

3. Actor-director precedent – Star Trek III: the Search for Spock
set a precedent in the Trek franchise by allowing Leonard Nimoy to work from
behind the camera as director. This was a first in the franchise. While many
may feel that it was not a big deal as Nimoy was barely in the movie, it was
important for a few reasons. First, at the time, many fans were uncertain as to
whether or not Spock would return. He had died in the previous movie, and
people just did not know how to embrace Trek without our favourite Vulcan. This
at least let us know that Leonard Nimoy had not left the Trek family, but was
still integrally involved in telling its story. Second, because it was a
success, this not only allowed Nimoy a chance to direct “The Voyage Home”, but
opened the door for William Shatner to direct the fifth movie (for better or
for worse), as well as start people thinking about letting some of the actors
in the TV shows direct episodes. This paved the way for the likes of Johnathan
Frakes (who also directed back-to-back Next Gen movies), Levar Burton, Michael
Dorn, Patrick Stewart, Gates McFadden, Avery Brooks, Rene Auberjonois, Avery
Brooks, Roxann Dawson, Alexander Siddig, Robert Duncan McNeill, Robert Picardo,
Tim Russ, and Andrew Robinson to have their turn behind the camera. It became a
great tradition that all started with the movies.

4. The “You Don’t See That Every Day” factor – the movies allowed
Star Trek to do things that had been previously unheard of in Star Trek. It
started with Spock’s death in the Wrath of Khan. Never before had a major
character been killed, and this led to some great moments for several movies to
come. We also were witness to other big events as both Enterprises were
destroyed (the original in The Search for Spock, and Picard’s ship in
Generations). We were able to see the inside of the Borg cube in much more
detail as well. There’s something about having a big movie budget that allows
you to do more than you could in a TV series. Everything from climbing a
mountain to taking a stroll along the hull of the Enterprise was on the table. We
saw the deaths of beloved characters in Khan Singh, Data, and Captain Kirk
himself. More could happen than was allowed on the television, and that is what
the movies are supposed to be.

5. The stories – Generally speaking, the story-telling in the
original movie series was mostly very good to excellent. Yes, looking for God
was a bit hokey, the V’Ger story was slow, and the planet of eternal youth was
not revolutionary by any means, but the stories told in the movies were, for
the most part, engaging. Death, sacrifice, vengeance, forgiveness, war, peace, loss,
rebirth, hope, new beginnings, and the end of a journey were all focused on
during the course of ten movies. There were great moments that showed our
beloved characters doing something new or in a situation that allowed them to
shine in unique ways. Think of a drunken Troi trying to get info out of an equally
drunk Zefram Cochrane, Chekov stealing his scenes in late 20th
Century San Francisco, or McCoy trying to give a Starfleet security officer the
Vulcan neck pinch. Lots of “fish out of water” moments for so many of our crew
members, and they were all due to great story writing.

So, there we have it, my Top 5 Reasons for Why I Love the Original
movies. If you want to see how the movies rank against each other, check out
Part 1 and Part 2 of my movie article. This also concludes my look at the many
reasons why I love all aspects of Star Trek. It has been a fun year celebrating
a half-century of this beloved franchise. I hope yours has been equally enjoyable.

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Celebrating the five full decades of Star Trek should be a
yearlong event, so I thought I would spread the love of all things Trek.
Previously in this series I touched on why I loved the Original Series, the Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise. I last wrote on why
I loved the Kelvin timeline (my skin has recovered somewhat from the burns that
I endured at those who vehemently disagreed with me). Next up, we look at what
some consider to be the conclusion of the five year mission of James T Kirk on
the USS Enterprise, Star Trek: the Animated Series.

On September 8, 1973 (exactly seven years after Star Trek
premiered), the Animated Series warped onto television screens. At the time,
animation was still largely seen as a format exclusive to children’s
entertainment, so the vibe was a bit different. Death was not as common on
these new adventures, episodes were a half hour long, and the theme song was
different. The familiar includes most of the main cast. William Shatner,
Leonard Nimoy, Deforest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols,
and Majel Barrett all reprised their roles, with several supporting characters
being voiced by Doohan and Barrett. Only Walter Koenig was not brought back,
due to budgetary restraints, although he made his own contribution by writing
the episode “The Infinite Vulcan”. 22 episodes were made, and the show won a
Daytime Emmy for outstanding Children’s Series in 1975. Many fans felt that
they were allowed one last set of adventures with their beloved crew. While
this series is not necessarily considered to be canon, there were many elements
of it that became incorporated into the other series and films. I will confess
that this series is the one that I am the least familiar with, but that has
more to do with the fact that I was only able to watch the series in the recent
years once they were available on DVD. That does not mean that I am not fond of
the series. Here are the top 5 reasons why I love the animated series.

1. The fans were validated – in the reference book “Star Trek –
Where No One Has Gone Before”, it was reported that in the early 70s NBC had
reworked their Nelson ratings system. They reran the numbers and found that
Star Trek, the show they had cancelled in 1969 due to low ratings, had actually
been reaching their target audience and had really good numbers. For years NBC
was baffled at the amount of fan mail that they had been receiving for Star
Trek and were puzzled by the success of the show in syndication. The new
ratings system solved that mystery; the show that they thought was a dead duck
had actually been the golden goose, and they killed it. The Animated Series
was, in part, NBC’s way of saying they had made a mistake and they were sorry.
It turned out all along that the fans were right, and the Animated Series was
their validation.

2. Sequels to Popular Stories – Ever wondered what happened to
Cyrano Jones and the Tribbles? Did you want to return to the shore leave
planet? How about wanting another encounter with Harry Mudd? Those were all
answered in three separate episodes: “More Tribbles, More Troubles”, “Once Upon
a Planet”, and “Mudd’s Passion”. Each fit within the new format wonderfully. We
also saw return appearances of other favourite characters such as Sarek (voiced
by Mark Leonard), Amanda Grayson, Kor, Koloth, Korax, and Commodore Wesley, and
Lieutenant Kyle. The Guardian of Forever was also revisited. It was nice to see
the familiar faces that had become so popular with the fans, although they were
not all exactly as how they were last seen. The tribbles received an
unintentional upgrade. Due to the colorblindness of director Hal Sutherland,
who did not realize that the tribbles were not the intended grey, the tribbles
appeared pink.

3.
Yesteryear – In all of these essays I have written I haven’t used a specific
episode as a reason. Well, that will change now. I think “Yesteryear” is one of
the strongest episodes of all the series. I would rank it with great classics
like “City on the Edge of Forever”, “The Inner Light”, and “The Visitor”. It
involves time travel with the Guardian of Forever and has Spock going back in
time to help his younger self. It was a great story that really develops the
character of Spock, and we get to see Vulcan in a way that we haven’t yet.

4.
Increasing the realm of the possible – animated series have a distinct
advantage over a live action series, or at least back then they did. Things
that directors and producers could only dream of doing but were unable due to
budget and technology were now possible with animation. New technology and more
alien-looking planetary designs were now achievable. We saw the first holodeck,
which would later be adopted by TNG. Most notable in this department was a
difference in the aliens. In the Original Series, the ship was almost
exclusively manned by humans (Spock being the major exception). Now, we were
able to have the Edosian navigator Lt. Arex, and the feline-esque Caitian
operations officer M’Ress. Animation allowed more diversity in aliens on the
ship in a way that had previously been impossible, and is still limited today in a live
action show’s budget.

5.
Nimoy’s stand – When the show was first pitched, the idea was to not bring back
Nichols and Takei to reprise their roles. This was done to save money by having
Doohan do all the male voices and Barrett to do all the female voices. When
Leonard Nimoy heard of this, he made a stand that almost stopped the show from
happening. Nimoy argued that what made Star Trek special was that it showed
great diversity in the crew, most notably the presence of Uhura and Sulu. Nimoy
said that Nichelle and George were essential to maintaining that spirit, and if
they were not going to be a part of the show, then neither was he. Since nobody
could imagine Star Trek without Spock, nor Spock without Nimoy, the producers
gave in and Uhura and Sulu were voiced by the original actors. Say what you
will, but Leonard Nimoy had power and knew how and when to use it. For that
alone, I love what the Animated Series represented.

And
there you go. There is one last entry in this series, and that is why I love
the Motion Pictures (Prime Timeline, of course). Enjoy!

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Celebrating the five full decades of Star Trek should be a
yearlong event, so I thought I would spread the love of all things Trek.
Previously in this series I touched on why I loved the Original Series,the Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and most recently Enterprise. For my
next entry, I am diving into shark-infested waters. Well, not literally,
although that might be safer than what I am attempting to do. Yes, it is time
for me to give my top 5 Reasons for why I love the Kelvin timeline movies. If
that name does not ring a bell, you may know it by a different title, such as
the reboot movies, the JJ Abrams-verse, or the Horrible-Piece-of-Defecation-That-Has-Destroyed-Star-Trek.
Yes, not since Kirk and Spock went looking for God in Star Trek V has anything
with the name “Star Trek” created such an outcry among the fans. To all the
haters of the Kelvin Timeline, I get you. I understand. I feel for you. I have
some issues with these movies as well (two words: lens flare). All I am asking
you is to hear me out, please. If you really don’t think there is any redeeming
quality about these movies, that they are a disgrace to the franchise, and
cause for Gene to be rolling over in his grave, then please, stop reading right
now. Go back to your life. Find something else to do. Watch The Wrath of Khan
or First Contact. Do whatever you need to restore your blood pressure. I am not
going to try to change your mind, but I don’t want to get you so upset that you
turn violent and start breaking things.

Still with me? Good for you. If you are like me, then you find
something good in these movies. If you are hating what Abrams has done to the
franchise but are still with me, I hope you are keeping an open mind. If not,
you have been duly warned.

In 2005 Paramount wanted more Trek on the big screen. At the time,
J.J. Abrams was working on Mission: Impossible III and had gained quite the
reputation with his TV work on shows like “Alias” and “Lost”. Writers Robert
Orci and Alex Kurtzman were brought on board, and for the next four years a new
Star Trek film was in the works. Fans waited with anticipation, some with more
dread and some with more excitement. Rumors flooded the internet. Questions
arose at warp speed. Names like Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Ryan Gosling, and
Adrien Brody were tossed around as potential cast members. Then, as things
began to crystalize, the movie took form. In May of 2009, a new crew of the
Enterprise blasted onto screens. We were shown a new version of the classic
crew we had loved for over 40 years. Chris Pine was the new James T. Kirk,
Zachary Quinto as the new Spock. We even got to see Leonard Nimoy reprise his
iconic role, and the Star Trek universe changed. A new timeline was established
that allowed the powers that be to pay homage to the original series yet not be
chained to the extensive canon that had been previously established. The first
movie was a success, and as of this writing two sequels hit the summer screens
with a fourth installment in the works.

That is not to say that the new series wasn’t universally well
received. Many life-long fans felt that the show lacked the spirit and essence
of Star Trek. The exploration was traded in for flashy effects and action
sequences. The financial success of each sequel became less and less. Into
Darkness retold the story of one of Trek’s greatest villains, Khan Singh, and
some felt that the show was just trying to ride the waves of nostalgia without
offering anything new. When Star Trek: Beyond hit theaters in the summer of
2016, it was meant to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Star Trek,
yet the tragic death of actor Anton Yeltin (Chekov) and a weak performance at
the box office dealt some heavy blows to the beleaguered film franchise.
Whether it was lack of story-telling, the perceived slights to what had come
before, or too much lens flare on the bridge, the Kelvin timeline series had
more than its fair share of detractors. For myself, however, I found that there
were some real gems in these stories. Yes, Abrams himself admitted that he was
more of a Star Wars guy than a Star Trek guy, but I do believe that Abrams was
trying to find a balance between showing love to the old while making the story
new again. I have enjoyed all three films for different reasons, and yes, I see
the points that the other side makes. In many instances I agree with them, but
that does not mean that I could find nothing in this re-imagining to love. I give
you my Top 5 reasons here.

1. The Enterprise’s update – Anytime a franchise is rebooted there
will be updates to what was familiar. As technology improves things like the
starship Enterprise can be reimagined. I like the design of the new ship a lot.
It still looks like the Enterprise we loved in the classic series, yet it looks
more like something we would see in the future and less like a TV show prop
from the 60s. When Shatner and Nimoy appeared in the first motion picture, the
Enterprise received a bit of modern tweaking. The same happened here, and for
me it works.

2. The timeline solution – Whenever a franchise is rebooted or a
new sequel comes out, there is always the fear that it will not stay true to
canon. Well, there is a reason why these films are referred to as the Kelvin
Timeline. By introducing the time travel element in the first movie, the
producers found a way to preserve the existing canon, but allow them freedom to
do things differently. To have Vulcan destroyed and Spock’s mother die in the
2009 movie made it seem like anything could happen, and while this timeline
might seem familiar in some regards, it gives us the unpredictability that
provided the opportunity to tell stories that were new and fresh.

3. Karl Urban channels Kelley – When the casting announcements
were made, there was a lot of chatter about it. People had opinions formed
before the movie hit the screens. After the movie was released, there were even
more debates as to who gave the performance that was most in touch with the
original character. Some were great (Quinto as Spock), others were harder for
me to accept (Pegg as Scotty), but I thought all involved did a good job. Above
and beyond all of the rest, however, is Karl Urban. Urban played the role of
our favourite southern doctor perfectly. Yes, he wasn’t DeForest Kelley, but if
I closed my eyes I could almost see the old Bones on the screen again. It has
been reported that when Leonard Nimoy saw Urban’s performance, he wept tears of
gratitude at how much he was reminded of Kelley. I have seen Karl Urban at a
few conventions, and he has said that all he wanted to do was honor the rich
character that DeForest Kelley made so important to us all. Well, Mr. Urban,
you succeeded beyond our greatest hopes. This is the one point that I have yet
to hear even the harshest of critics dispute, and for good reason: they can’t.

4. Spock’s Approval – there are so many things about Star Trek
that are iconic. The Enterprise is widely recognizable, Kirk is a legend, and
everything from Tribbles to Klingons have become well known even among the
population that know little of Trek. There is one character, and with it one
actor, that is the most iconic in all of Star Trek, and that is Spock portrayed
by Leonard Nimoy. These movies were able to bring closure to Nimoy’s character.
He was essential to the first movie, a neat cameo in the second, and a touching
tribute in the third. None of this would have been possible if Leonard Nimoy
had not agreed to do it. Nimoy had retired from acting by this time. He was
under no obligation to be a part of this project. I believe that had he
disapproved of the films, he would not have been a part of them. Nimoy’s
validation should rightfully carry much weight, and I think he saw much of the
value that was in those films. Leonard Nimoy loved Star Trek, and if the new
movies were good enough for him, then that should mean something to his fans.
You may not have to agree with his opinion, but you cannot help but respect it.

5. A new generation – As I mentioned before, I understand why some
fans utterly despise this incarnation. There are Star Trek groups that forbid
any mention of the Kelvin Timeline in any way, and some fans can see literally
nothing of value in these movies. I will use what I think is my strongest
argument for why I love these films. It has allowed a whole new generation to
discover Star Trek. With Netflix and other media-streaming providers, the youth
who were not fortunate enough to be raised by Trekkie parents had a way to be
introduced to the franchise. I have attended two conventions in Las Vegas, and
I talk to some of the kids and younger adults who were not even around when the
Next Generation and Voyager were on the air. Many of them became fans because
of these movies. When they saw the movie, they looked up the show to see what
the fuss was all about, and they were hooked. They would then start to
binge-watch all the series, and before long were as knowledgeable and fanatical
as those of us that have been around for the majority of the five decades that
Trek was there. Some agree that the Abrams movies are mere shells of what Trek
was, but they admit that they might not have seen Star Trek without them. So,
whether you love or hate these movies, you cannot discount the fact that it has
brought new fans into the fold.

Well, there you are. I hope to hear your comments on this. Due to
the controversy that is wrapped up with the Kelvin Timeline, I respectfully ask
that all comments be that: respectful. Each of us is entitled to our opinions,
which is why IDIC is so beautiful and delicate to manage. I welcome your
thoughts and opinions (but please, be civil). Next up in this series: the
Animated Series!

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here.

Episode Overview – (Star Trek: The Next
Generation, Season 3). The Enterprise meets up with the USS Hood where they are
given both an unusual assignment and an unusual passenger. Picard and his crew
must race towards a disputed system to make contact with a strange entity, code-named
“Tin Man”, before the Romulans do.

Episode Score – 6/10. This episode is OK, but not
outstanding by any means. The mystery is there, but not significant. The
effects are OK, but not stellar. The story is routine, but not special.

Relevance – 1 point. This episode finally shows us
the captain of the USS Hood, Captain Robert DeSoto, Riker’s former Captain. He
is mentioned again in DS9, though this is the only appearance of the captain.

Character Development – 1 point. This story is about Tam Elbrun,
plain and simple. While Deanna has a past with him, Data has a connection with
him, and Riker has misgivings about him, this story does nothing to propel the
development of any of the main characters. What we do explore is the character
of a gifted telepath who struggles to find a place for him in the galaxy. He is
never seen again, so character development is minimal.

Social Commentary – 1 point. There is not much that hits home
in society in this episode, except for perhaps addressing the needs of those
who don’t quite fit in. Tam Elbrun isnot
your typical Betazoid, and is socially handicapped because of it. I have met a
few individuals who remind me of him. They tend to see the world in a way that
is different, and they struggle with social conventions and fitting in. The
story does not delve too deeply in that story, however, and the commentary is
superficial at best.

Cool Factor – 2 points. It is cool to see Gomtu (the
name for Tin Man) as a living space vessel, capable of sustaining a crew. This
is also the first time that Romulan Warbirds were given the classification of D’deridex class.

Rank
– Lieutenant (14 points). Not
a bad episode, but things just did not quite click the way I thought they could
have. Take it or leave it

Thursday, November 3, 2016

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here.

Overview – As the Enterprise goes to gather
scientific data on a new planet, a message is received from the cargo ship that
Travis Mayweather grew up on and that his father commanded, the Horizon. Travis
learns that his father’s health is failing, and he requests a leave to help
out. After learning that his father has passed away, Travis is faced with a
decision between loyalties to his family and to his Starfleet crew. All of this
gets put on hold when an aggressive alien species attempts to take over the
Horizon. Meanwhile, T’Pol is invited to movie night.

Score: 6/10 – One of the rare episodes that focuses on
Travis Mayweather. Nothing too extraordinary in this episode. At first, it
seems like it will be a fairly dull “family conflict” episode that only starts
to ramp up its pace when the alien ship comes to hijack the Horizon. The B plot
line of T’Pol going to see “Frankenstein” on movie night allows for the rest of
the crew to have something to do as the main plot occurs almost entirely
off-ship. Some humorous moments arise, including T’Pol addressing a chatty
Phlox during the movie. Well written and acted, but nothing too momentous. A
good filler story.

Relevance - 1 point. We get to see the “sweet spot”
again, which we hadn’t seen since the pilot episode, and it made sense that
Travis would be there upon learning about his father. That scores a point.

Continuity - 3 points. Character continuity could have
easily scored a point here, if not for one little thing. There is nothing
happening that contradicts anything that the characters have previously
established except for T’Pol eating popcorn with her hands. It was established
in the pilot that Vulcans do not like to touch their food. I will allow the
point, however, for a couple reasons. One, T’Pol has been encouraged that it is
logical to fraternize with the crew, and eating popcorn at the movie in a
different manner would go against that. Two, the way that Jolene Blalock
handles the scene shows that she is both unfamiliar and uncomfortable, acting
in a truly logical way for the sub-commander. A point is scored for story
continuity as it gives us some detail as to how long the ship has been on its
mission. Universe continuity also scores a point as things continue as had been
previously established.

Character Development – 2 points. Travis gets likely
the most development his character has ever seen, especially background with
his family. Much like other such characters in different series (Sulu, Geordi,
Jake, Kim), a Travis episode is a breath of fresh air for the development. I
really liked the one line that archer shared with Travis from his father’s
recommendation letter. Great stuff. We also see T’Pol build on her character. I
especially enjoyed how she used the Frankenstein movie as an analogy to
Earth-Vulcan relations.

Social Commentary – 2 points. The age-old
“loyalty to family” dilemma is brought forward again. It isn’t new, but it is
very applicable to any age in society. This story deals with the aftermath of
choosing something else over the family expectation, which many can relate to.

Cool Stuff – 1 point. Sharp-eyed fans will see a book
called “Chicago Gangs” in the old quarters of Travis on the Horizon. This is an
homage to the Original Series episode “A Piece of the Action”, where Kirk and
his crew find a planet that had been drastically affected by another ship
called “Horizon” leaving a book with a similar title. These little tips of the
hat are always fun, you just have to know where to look for them.

Rank – Lieutenant
(15 points).
A really solid second season episode that gives great insight into Travis’s
character. He deserved more like this, I feel. While it was solid, it was not
earth-shattering in any way. Not a “must-see”, but definitely a “should-see”.

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About Me

A mild-manered science teacher who is missing his faithful dog Annie, loving his family, and ruler of his own domain (when life says he can). I love just about anything that is geeky, hate zombie and vampire movies in general, and love country music.